A new action plan aimed at making some of the city centre’s busiest areas safer and more enjoyable for shoppers and visitors will go before senior councillors in Leeds.
00:00How often do you find yourself on Brigitte and what would you like to see improved, if anything, in this part of Leeds City Centre?
00:07Proposals aimed at improving safety and the overall visitor experience are set to be reviewed by senior councillors.
00:15The Brigitte Action Plan focuses on tackling congestion and safety concerns in some of the city's busiest pedestrian areas,
00:22following rising public concerns over high volumes of cyclists and unregulated street peddlers.
00:28If given the green light by Leeds City Council's Executive Board on the 15th of October,
00:34the plan will move into a second stage of public consultation, gathering further input from residents and businesses.
00:41The proposals come on the back of a city-wide survey conducted last year, which highlighted growing unease around pedestrian safety.
00:49Some shoppers pointed to the increasing presence of fast-moving delivery bikes and mobile traders as major disruptors to their city centre experience.
00:58Key measures under the plan include a new rule requiring cyclists and e-bike users to dismount and walk their bikes through pedestrianised areas during designated hours,
01:08and an extension of pedestrian-only hours from 10.30 to 7 to a broader time frame of 10am to 8pm.
01:15A ban on peddlers operating in specific zones within the pedestrianised area as part of a proposed public space protection order is also being considered.
01:24Brigitte is the region's busiest shopping street, welcoming over a quarter of a million visitors each week,
01:30according to Pedestrian Tracking Tech, and it also sees around 15 peddlers and an estimated 1,100 daily bicycles,
01:38some capable of speeds of up to 45mph.
01:40If approved, the action plan could be implemented by the end of 2027.
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